View of the Appenines and a Valley in Basilicata 1780

Editor: This is Joseph Varin's "View of the Appenines and a Valley in Basilicata." I find the gathering of figures striking against the vastness of the landscape. What narratives do you think Varin is trying to convey? Curator: I see this work through a lens of colonial gaze and power dynamics. Consider how Varin, as a European artist, depicts the Italian landscape and its inhabitants. Is it a romanticized view, perhaps obscuring the realities of life for those living there? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't considered the power dynamics inherent in landscape art of this period. Curator: Exactly. Who is given agency in the image? Whose stories are being told, and from what perspective? These are questions we must constantly ask when looking at historical artworks. Editor: So true. I'll definitely think about that next time I see a landscape piece.